This Is Not Goodbye

As you probably know by know, I went Over the Rainbow Bridge late last Friday night. I had been very sick for a week, with no explanation as to what was wrong with me.


The previous Friday, Mom and Dad woke up to find that I had a barfisode in the living room. I spent the entire day in bed, only getting up when Dad picked me up and carried my out. I didn't eat at all, drank a little water and used my kitty box once. Mom and Dad thought I just had a tummy ache.


The next morning, Saturday, I was up and around on my own, but moving slowly. I had used my box again during the night. Dad convinced me to eat one of my favorite treats, a small piece of dried salmon, and some Whisker Lickin's treats. I continued to drink water, but never ate my kibble and didn't use my box any more that day.


When Sunday came and I still hadn't perked up, Mom and Dad took my to my V-E-T office, Banfield. I saw a doctor there that I had never seen before. She thought my situation was very dire, possibly hepatic lipidosis, a liver disease. I stayed there while they ran blood work on me. The doctor called Mom right away and said that it instead looked to be diabetic ketoacidosis and that I needed to go to the emergency and specialty hospital right away.


Mom and Dad rushed right back to get me and drove me to Blue Pearl where they were awaiting my arrival. The emergency vet looked me over and looked at the test results from Banfield. She said it was not DKA, because I didn't have any ketones. She didn't know what was going on though. She said I needed to stay so they could take care of me and find out what was wrong.


Over the next week, there were many ups and downs with my care. They kept running tests and ruling out different things, but still couldn't come up with any answers. My body temperature was low, my blood pressure was low, and my glucose was high. They had me on fluids to rehydrate me and get my BP up, however I then started having trouble breathing so they put me in an oxygen bed. Every time they would get one thing under control, something else would happen. I wasn't strong enough to use the litter box, so they put in a catheter. I HATED that thing! It was so uncomfortable.

In the oxygen bed.

Finally, on Friday, the internist who was caring for me told Mom and Dad that they didn't know what else to do for me, but if I was going to stay I needed a feeding tube because I hadn't eaten all week. Dad decided I should go home, thinking I might eat if I was in my home, in comfortable surroundings.

When Dad decided to take me home.

Mom and Dad took me home around 3 PM Friday. They gave me my medicine and syringe fed me a couple of times. I was so weak. I couldn't walk very well and I was having a hard time breathing. I walked to my water fountain to get a drink, but it was so difficult that in between laps of water, I rested my head on the edge of the bowl. Then I made my way to the bathroom where I laid on the tile. Mom felt me and I was very cold. I was uncomfortable, constantly changing positions. I hadn't slept since I had come home. I started to cry a little. Mom was sad to see me like that. She told Dad that I couldn't go on like that and they needed to take me back to Blue Pearl.


I rode in the back seat with Dad while Mom took us for my final car ride. The techs at Blue Pearl had a very hard time getting an IV in my paws because they were so swollen. Finally, they took me back in to Mom and Dad. By then it was shortly before 1 AM. Mom held me on her lap, talked to me, and gave me smoochies. Soon, I felt sleepy, then all the pain was gone. I could sense sadness from Mom and Dad, but I was so happy.


Now I'm at the Rainbow Bridge and things are wonderful! There are nip fields to run in and I can eat all the salmon I want. Mom is so very sad, but I know she'll feel better and one day we'll be together again. Leaving Earth is not goodbye.